Friends, family and the Ohio Highway Patrol are mourning the death of the state's first African-American trooper and former elected local leader.

The Patrol says 85-year-old Louis Sharp passed away on May 7. He graduated with the 44th Academy class in 1955 and was assigned to the Findlay post. After serving nine months, Sharp left for a higher-paying job in education in order to support his family. He was an instructor and principal at Pope John XXIII/Holy Rosary and other educational institutions. Later, Sharp became Mayor of Urbancrest. He was inducted into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2011. A funeral mass is scheduled for Monday morning.